The RIP LIST: 150 Toronto restaurants that closed in 2017

Dec 9 2017, 5:27 am

This end-of-year recap rounds up all the Toronto restaurants that have closed in 2017.

From nostalgic spots that’ll we’ll mourn forever, to flashes in the pan we almost missed entirely, here are 150 Toronto restaurants that shuttered over the last year.

A3 Napoli
May 2015 to January 2017. This Little Italy address is now a Pizza Libretto devoted to take-out and delivery.

AF1 Caribbean Canteen, 596 College Street, Toronto
The Caribbean restaurant on College didn’t last in this cursed high-turnover address in Little Italy.

Abbiocco, 588 College Street, Toronto
Just six months in, this upscale Italian spot called it quits and has already been replaced by Chez’s Restaurant.

Ace & Ale Taphouse, 566 Queen Street West, Toronto
RIP January 2015 to May 2017.

Against the Grain, 87 Laird Drive, East York
The location at Corus Quay remains open but the Leslieville pub has been replaced by the Barrel House from Amsterdam Brewing Co.

Ajuker Chicken, 680 Bloor Street West, Toronto
The fried chicken in Koreatown called it quits in the fall.

Aprilé Bambina, 1054 Gerrard Street East
Pollyanna, a new restaurant from the folks behind Eastside Social and The Thirsty Duck, has already replaced this Italian restaurant on Gerrard.

Ashdale Brunch and Espresso, 1560 Queen Street East, Toronto
The Leslieville brunch destination closed abruptly in October.

Asuka, 108 Yorkville Avenue, Toronto
RIP January 2017.

B’saha, 599 College Street, Toronto
The shortlived Moroccan street food spot quietly closed up shop over the summer

BakeryHaus, 238 Queen Street West, Toronto
The “bakery and kaffee haus” located inside the Queen Street Market is no more.

Bar Italia, 582 College Street West, Toronto
The Little Italy stalwart closed in July and has since been taken over by the Mad Crush Wine Bar from the folks behind The Queen and Beaver, and The Oxley

Bareburger, 111 Dundas Street West, Toronto
The American chain shuttered its only Toronto location in June.

The Baro, 424 Queen Street West, Toronto
The chopped salad shop on Queen West had a hard time making a go of it through serious and obstructive construction during its first year in business.

The Beaconsfield, 1154 Queen Street West, Toronto
The venue across from The Drake Hotel suddenly shuttered this spring after 13 years on West Queen West. Death & Taxes has taken its place.

Bent, 777 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Susur Lee’s Dundas West restaurant closed at the end of May and the address is the future home of The Six Brewing Co.

Beryl’s Pepper Pot, 1610 Queen Street East, Toronto
Locations in Ajax and Pickering are still in business but the Caribbean joint in Leslieville is dunzo.

Bestellen, 972 College Street, Toronto
After a five year run, Chef Rob Rossi is in the process of converting his College Street steakhouse into Giulietta, with the owners of L’Unita.

Bill’s Lobster, 599 Gerrard St E, Toronto
The fishmonger and source for fresh seafood closed this spring after two decades in Toronto’s East Chinatown.

Bloor Street Diner, 55 Bloor Street West, Unit 216
The diner inside the Manulife Centre closed on January 8, 2017 after 35 years.

The Boil Bar, 442 Bloor Street West
Perhaps as unsustainable as serving seafood in plastic bags, this closing might signify that the boil bar trend is finally dying down.

Bravo Restaurant, 1588 Dundas Street West, Toronto
September 2016 to January 2017.

Buster’s Sea Cove,  876 Yonge Street, Toronto
The source for fish tacos and lobster rolls shuttered this outlet at Yonge and Scollard but is still afloat at other locations including a food truck, St. Lawrence Market location, and Yordale Shopping Centre pop-up.

Cardinal Rule, 5 Roncesvalles Avenue, Toronto
New Years Day is the final service for this seven-year-old eatery in Roncesvalles Village.

C’est Bon, 2685 Yonge Street, Toronto
The old school Chinese food spot is gone and in its place, Koek Koek is already open for business.

The Central, 603 Markham Street
October 2006 to January 2017.

Clockwork Coffee, 36 Toronto Street, Toronto
The cafe adjacent to Rose City Kitchen closed along with its neighbours.

College Street Bar, 574 College Street, Toronto
Closed by court and then eventually for good. Mrs. Robinson has already taken up residency at the same address.

Come & Get It, 676 Queen Street West, Toronto
The Queen West snack bar quietly closed this spring and has been replaced by Soufi, a Syrian kitchen specializing in maneesh and knaffeh.

The Commodore, 1265 Queen Street West, Toronto
Shuttered March 27 after a year and a half serving seafood in Parkdale– the address is now home to Mythology vegan diner.

Corrado’s, 118 John Street, Toronto
The Italian and Greek take-out spot in the Entertainment District shut its doors for good this fall.

County General (Riverside), 798 Queen Street East, Toronto
Closed January 31, 2017 after 3 years, this snack bar has since been replaced by Chez Nous Wine Bar.

Coyote Willie, 689 Queen Street East, Toronto
RIP January 20 after 28 years. Pulp Kitchen is soon to relocate to the same address.

Cumbrae’s, 481 Church Street, Toronto
The boutique butcher closed its Church Street outlet just weeks after relocating its Leaside location across the street into a grand new storefront.

Dac Biet Burger, 213 Church Street, Toronto
July 2015 to January 2017.

Dangerous Dan’s, 714 Queen Street East, Toronto
The Riverside burger joint of 18 years served its last Coronary Burger in May.

Dufflet Pastries<.strong>, 1917 Queen Street East, Toronto
The Beach(es) location closes its doors for good on December 31, 2017.

The Dundas General, 1243 Dundas Street West, Toronto
The one-stop cafe and retail space closed due to unforeseen circumstances according to its website.

Edward Levesque’s Kitchen, 1290 Queen Street East, Toronto
The brunch destination had been a Leslieville favourite for 16 years prior to closing its doors in mid-August. Jules Bistro has since transformed the space into its third location.

The Family Bagel, 1847 Avenue Road, North York
The bagel shop on Avenue Road will leave a hole in this neighbourhood’s brunch offerings.

Farm to Table Market, 1144 Queen Street East, Toronto
The retail space for local produce, prepared meals and more, closed its doors on November 25.

Fatburger, 10 Disera Drive, Unit 120, Thornhill
The American burger chain couldn’t cut the mustard and has shuttered its sole GTA location.

Flaming Bull, 378 Bloor Street West, Toronto
This short-lived Taiwanese spot didn’t even last a year and has already been converted into Vietnam Lovely Noodle.

Focal Resto Lounge, 592 Queen Street West, Toronto,
The Asian fusion snack bar is shuttered having only just opened this past spring.

Frank’s Kitchen588 College Street, Toronto
The bastion of fine dining in Little Italy closed in April and has since been replaced by Abbiocco… which is now also closed (see above).

Frida, 999 Eglinton Avenue West, York
The Mexican restaurant has closed its doors but Executive Chef Sergio Maldonado is now accepting catering inquiries.

The Fuzzbox, 1246 Danforth Avenue, Toronto
RIP Halifax doners in Toronto–April 2012 to January 21, 2017.

G for Gelato, 75 Jarvis Street, Toronto
The pizzeria and gelateria shut its retail location at Jarvis and Adelaide after failing to renew its lease.

Game of Cheese, 505 Highway 7, Unit 50, Richmond Hill
This shortlived Richmond Hill restaurant served up laksa cheese pots, cheesy sweet corn, and black truffle carbonara, but is soon to be converted into another location for Dagu Rice Noodle.

Good Game Bar, 2097 Yonge Street, Toronto
April 20, 2016 t0 January 25, 2017.

Goodlake2976 Lake Shore Boulevard West, Etobicoke
New Toronto lost a solid dining option with the closure of this three-year-old restaurant in April.

Golden Cafe, 35 Golden Avenue, Toronto
This hidden coffee counter and catering operation shuttered in June.

The Green Room
The back alley bar just south of Bloor might be closed but The Green Room has been reincarnated at 414 College Street in Little Italy.

Hard Rock Cafe, 279 Yonge Street, Toronto
Toronto’s iconic Hard Rock Cafe at Yonge-Dundas Square closed this spring and will soon be a Shoppers Drug Mart outlet.

Harlem, 67 Richmond Street East, Toronto
After over a decade, this pioneer of chicken and waffles in Toronto shuttered its location on Richmond Street East restaurant. Harlem Underground on West Queen West is still in business.

Hey Lucy, 440 Bloor Street West, Toronto
The address in The Annex is the future home of once Mirvish Village resident, The Victory Cafe. Meanwhile, the Italian restaurant still operates locations in Cabbagetown and on King West.

Hey Meatball, 912 Queen Street East, Toronto
October 2013 to February 2017–Chef Rodney Bowers retains the space and is now open as Bunny’s.

Holts Cafe, Yorkdale and Yorkville
There will soon be a new place to refuel while shopping at Holt Renfrew. Colette Grand Café is replacing the luxury retailer’s in-store cafes at five locations in Canada including two in Toronto.

Hopgood’s Foodliner, 325 Roncesvalles Avenue, Toronto
Closed February 6, 2017 after 5 years.

Holy Oak, 1241 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Closed February 2017 after eight years.

HoSu Bistro, 254 Queen Street West, Toronto
The Japanese restaurant on Queen West is no more though the location at Yonge and Eg perseveres.

Houston Avenue Bar and Grill, 33 Yonge Street, Toronto
The chain of grill houses remains popular in Quebec but shuttered in May after a decade in Toronto’s Financial District.

The Hoxton, 69 Bathurst Street, Toronto
Closed January 2017 after six years.

Hungry Amoo, 74 Ossington Avenue, Tronto
The snack bar on Ossington has already been replaced by Tanto, a new Argentine-inspired restaurant from the folks behind Chabrol.

Hush, 303 King Street West, Toronto
This King West restaurant was recently replaced by a new source for light bites and hard drinks.

I Love Churros from Pancho’s, 658 College Street, Toronto
The Little Italy outpost is shuttered although you’ll still find Pancho’s going strong in Kensington Market and at Dufferin and Bloor.

J&J Bar-B-Que
Closed March 2017 after 8 months.

Janie Jones, 1030 Gerrard Street East, Toronto
September 2016 to February 2017. The address now houses La Cubana.

Ji, 760 St. Clair Avenue, Toronto
The Indian pub on St. Clair announced its closure in early December on Facebookwhile simultaneously promising a new, bigger location open somewhere downtown in the near future.

Judy’s Cuisine, 550 Highway 7 East, Richmond Hill
The Cantonese restaurant in Times Square closed after over a decade as a local fave.

KadBanu, 771 Dundas St W, Toronto
August 2014 to January 2017.

Kaiju, 384 Yonge Street, Unit 51, Toronto
The Japanese curry vendor in the Shops at Aura food court shuttered at the end of October.

The Kathi Roll Express, 692 Yonge Street, Toronto
The Indian street hawker closed its Yonge Street outlet and has announced plans for a new location (TBA) in addition to its food truck.

Kobo Nobu, 786 Broadview Avenue, Toronto
The Japanese cookhouse closed in May after a three-year stint on the edge of Greektown.

Lee Garden, 331 Spadina Avenue, Toronto
The Chinatown institution since 1978, the restaurant abruptly shuttered this spring leaving longtime customers in mourning.

Less Bar, 834 Bloor Street West, Toronto
The live music venue in Bloorcourt only just opened (fall 2017) and is already dunzo.

Lil’ Baci, 2013 Yonge Street, Toronto
The Italian restaurant on Yonge Street shuttered in August, though the location in Leslieville perseveres and is joined by the newly opened Italian restaurant Annabelle and Davenport and Christie.

Little Fin, 4 Temperance Street, Toronto
The seafood-centric sandwich shop from The Chase Hospitality Group closed in August to make room for the already-up-and-running, Planta Burger.

Lucullus Bakery, 31 Elm Street, Toronto
The Asian bakery might have closed its downtown outpost but three locations in Markham and Richmond Hill are still kicking.

Lo Zingaro, 571 Queen Street West, Toronto
The Italian restaurant at Queen and Portland called it quits in 2017.

McGugan’s, 1058 Gerrard Street East, Toronto
The Scottish pub just recently closed and has been converted into Chula, a multi-floor Mexican spot with a rooftop tiki bar.

Meli Baklava, 238 Queen Street West, Toronto
Did anyone really think the vendor at Queen Live Fresh Food Market could recover after mice were filmed binging on their wares in July?

Mexico Lindo, 467 Danforth Avenue, Toronto
The Mexican joint on The Danforth suddenly shuttered in July.

Mezzrow’s, 1546 Queen Street West, Toronto
After 22 years serving Parkdale, this pub was driven out of business by rent increases.

Milagro, 3187 Yonge Street, Toronto
The Yonge Street cantina may be shuttered but you can still find Milagro operating outposts on West Queen West as well as on Mercer Street.

Milestones, 132 John Street, Toronto
The chain restaurant in the heart of Toronto’s entertainment district is soon to be replaced by a Brazillian restaurant, Zebu Steak + Bar.

MoTo Snack Bar, 1321 Dundas Street West, Toronto
The DuWest snack bar has been revamped and is now operating as a cocktail bar and restaurant called eighty6’d.

Mutual Street Deli, 103 Mutual Street, Toronto
The deli first opened in 1957 shut its doors before the onset of 2018.

The Musket, 40 Advance Road, Etobicoke
The German pub shuttered in July according to Yelpers.

NAO Steakhouse, 90 Avenue Road, Toronto
The Yorkville steakhouse has been replaced with upscale Mediterranean grill, Estia.

Noble Seafood, 530 Dundas Street West, Toronto
The dim sum spot in Chinatown has served its dumpling.

Noodleholic, 2210 Dundas Street West, Toronto
The pan-Asian noodle house closed in June.

Northern Chinese Cuisine, 713 College Street, Toronto
This less-than-memorable Chinese restaurant in Little Italy is no more.

Odd Espresso Bar, 1111 College Street, Toronto
This cafe proved itself a mere flash in the pan having closed just six months after its debut.

Origin, 107 King Street East, Toronto
Closed January 21, 2017 after 7 years.

Oro, 45 Elm Street, Toronto
The long-standing Italian restaurant served its last dishes in late December.

Pam’s Caribbean Kitchen, 912 Bloor Street West, Toronto,
The Caribbean joint in Bloorcourt served its last roti in August but could still reopen nearby.

Parcae, 348 Adelaide Street West, Toronto
The restaurant hidden inside The Templar Hotel ceased operations in June after two years.

Park Hyatt Roof Lounge, 4 Avenue Road, Toronto
After 82 years, this Yorkville hotel has shuttered one of the city’s favourite lookout spots and cocktail lounges as the hotel undergoes extensive renovations. Expect an all-new rooftop to debut upon completion towards the end of 2019.

The Passenger, 2968 Dundas Street West, Toronto
It’s lights out for this speakeasy in The Junction.

Pastissima, 2633 Yonge Street, Toronto
The Italian stalwart at Yonge and Eg shuttered this spring after four-decade run.

Pho Ai My, 221 Spadina Avenue, Toronto
The Vietnamese eatery in Chinatown served its last bowl of pho in August.

Pho Rex, 658 Bloor Street West, Toronto
The Vietnamese eatery in Seaton Village has been replaced by Sejong Restaurant, a Korean diner serving up fried chicken.

Pizza Thick, 536 Queen Street East, Toronto
The pizzeria devoted to Regina-style pies shuttered its Leslieville location in April and has taken up residence in the space shared with Death in Venice Gelato at 536 Queen Street West.

Public Park Coffee, 445 Adelaide Street West, Toronto
The cafe on Adelaide Street West is no more.

Quattro e Quattr8, 2059 Yonge Street, Toronto
November 2015 to February 2017.

R Squared, 668 Queen Street West, Toronto
The West Queen West Cafe ended its six-year run this spring and reopened as a location of Tokyo Smoke.

The Rectory Cafe, 102 Lakeshore Ave, Ward’s Island, Toronto
After a summer full of flooding, the restaurant on the Toronto Islands decided not to renew its lease.

The Red Bench, 611 Yonge Street, Toronto
The frozen yogurt joint closed up shop suddenly at the end of March when it chose not to renew its lease at the eleventh hour.

Red Castle, 531 Danforth Avenue, Toronto
The Mediterranean restaurant on The Danforth raised the white flags this spring.

Republic
Just six months in, this hidden cafe and purveyor of Lebanese street foods closed its doors citing a lack of “constant daily flow of traffic” and “inability for customers to park on the street.”

Rione XI, 672 St Clair West, Toronto
The novel Jewish-Italian restaurant on St. Clair West closed just a year and a half after its debut.

Robin’s Pizza & Wings, 263 Coxwell Avenue, Toronto
The pizzeria in Little India is gone for good.

The Rolling Pin, 3429 Yonge Street, Toronto
The Yonge Street bakeshop has relocated to Avenue Road leaving a doughnut-shaped hole in the hearts of Yonge and Lawrence locals.

Rollipub, 598 College Street, Toronto
The brick and mortar restaurant from Toronto food truck Sushitto is no more.

Rose City Kitchen, 36 Toronto Street, Toronto
First, the food truck vanished from Toronto streets, then the Queen West outlet, and now the food court stall at 36 Toronto is dunzo too.

Rosie’s Kitchen, 1549 Bayview Avenue, Toronto
The Leaside brunch destination shuttered just as summer was getting started.

Royal Meats BBQ, 88 Fort York Boulevard, Toronto
The Balkan butcher and burger shop in CityPlace packed it in in July. The Etobicoke outpost remains open.

The Rude Boy, 397 Roncesvalles Avenue, Toronto
Following months of uncertainty, this burger shop Roncy looks like it will never reopen.

Ryus Noodle Bar, 33 Baldwin Street, Toronto
The noodle house in Baldwin Village closed following a five-alarm fire in early June and has since relocated to Toronto’s east side.

Sammich, 811 Queen Street West, Toronto
October 2016 to January 2017.

Saturday Dinette, 807 Gerrard Street East, Toronto
Chef Suzanne Barr’s diner on Gerrard closed up shop in July. The chef has since taken up residency at The Gladstone Hotel while we await the launch of her newest project, Kid Chocolate.

The Saucy Pierogi, 1282 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Toronto’s first modern Pierogarnia closed up shop in June after four years on Dundas West.

Silo 13, 4750 Yonge Street, Unit 107, North York
You missed breakfast Toronto! The short-lived cereal cafe was barely open a couple months before suddenly closing its doors.

Sky Blue Sky Sandwich Company, 605 Bloor Street West and 333 King Street East, Toronto
Both locations of this Wilco-inspired sandwich shop shut down this spring following the sale of the business to new owners. As NOW reports, the new owners likely didn’t even know who Wilco was.

Smash Juice Bar, 36 Toronto Street, Toronto
Along with Rose City Kitchen, the juice bar and former food court resident is also shuttered.

Smoke’s Poutinerie, 772 College Street, Toronto
The outpost in Little Italy may have shuttered, but this chain restaurant is still dishing out fries, cheese curds and gravy at locations across the city.

Spirits Bar & Grill, 642 Church Street, Toronto
After 30 years in business, this family-run pub closed as the owners sail into retirement.

Soi Thai, 651 College Street, Toronto
The Little Italy restaurant has undergone a complete overhaul and is newly reopened as Shanee, an all-day spot serving South East Asian small plates.

The Steady, 1051 Bloor Street West, Toronto
RIP dance parties and hangover brunches at this queer-friendly spot operating from 2013 to 2017.

Steve’s Restaurant, 3788 Bathurst Street, North York
The original family restaurant at Bathurst and Wilson has closed but locations live on in Thornhill and Thornbury.

Taco.TO, 170 Spadina Avenue, Toronto
The taqueria in Chinatown served its last taco this fall.

Taj Restaurant, 1698 Eglinton Avenue West, York,
The restaurant known for Uzbek cuisine has closed its Oakwood Village location and is relocating to North York.

Thai Indeed, 3081 Kingston Road, Scarborough
The source for pad thai and curries shuttered at the end of November.

TOT the Cat Cafe, 298 College Street, Toronto
Toronto’s premiere cat cafe closed in early November, though a notice on facebook suggests that this feline-friendly cafe might have a few more lives to go: “We decided to take a break, then return with BIGGER, BETTER, PURR-ER, and much more surprises to YOU ALL! New location(s) will be announced!”

7-Eleven, 975 Danforth Avenue and 1151 Queen Street East
The chain of 24-hour convenience stores shuttered two of its outlets on Toronto’s east side in the last couple of months.

The Standard, 667 College Street, Toronto
After 25 years, this pizza and pasta joint in Little Italy has closed its doors for good.

Stella, 1261 Bloor Street West, Toronto
The Bloordale bar is dunzo.

Super Noodle Express, 358 Spadina Avenue, Toronto
You can still get noodles at this Chinatown address only now it’s called Fudao Noodle House.

Sushi Shop, 3 Carlton Street, Toronto
This sushi shop is being replaced already with a third outpost for sushi burrito makers Rolltation.

Tilde
The taqueria on The Danforth closed in late May and has since been replaced by NōMads Restobar.

Tinto Bar De Tapas, 1581 Bayview Avenue, Toronto
The Spanish restaurant in East York shuttered over the summer, only to be replace by Untold which didn’t last long (see below).

Tommaso’s Trattoria, 400 Eastern Avenue, Toronto
Once home to an AYCE Italian hot table, this Leslieville restaurant retired on March 31st.

Toronto Distillery Co., 90 Cawthra Avenue, Unit 100, Toronto
Closed March 2017 after 5 years.

Untold, 1581 Bayview Avenue, Toronto
This soup and salad bar was no more than a flash in the pan and was open for just days!?!

The Victory Cafe, 581 Markham Street, Toronto
Closed January 2017 after 27 years though a new location has since popped-up at440 Bloor Street West. See where the rest of Mirvish Village has relocated to.

Whistler’s Grille & The McNeil Room, 995 Broadview Avenue, Toronto
After 36 years in business, this family-run restaurant is closing on December 31 following the sale of the property.

White Squirrel, 1055 Yonge Street, Toronto
The Rosedale cafe that shared an address Freshii has been replaced with a second location of Strange Love Coffee.

Wonder Chicken, 96 Harbord Street, Toronto
The short-lived Taiwanese chicken joint lasted just over a year in Harbord Village.

Yunaghi, 538 Manning Avenue, Toronto
Closed January 2017 after 3 years.

Za Pizzeria, 402 Bloor Street West, Toronto
The Annex take-out spot known for stuffed crust crescent pies closed just as summer came to a close. The business intends to refocus on catering.

See also

DH Toronto StaffDH Toronto Staff

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